Pink celebrates motherhood, Career retrospective

NEW YORK – While Pink’s impending motherhood is garnering her plenty of ink, she’s got something else to celebrate  10 years in the music business.

The 31-year-old singer recently released “Greatest Hits ... So Far!!!” that chronicles her growth from a potent, big-voiced R&B star to dynamic pop singer and performer. It comes after a year in which she has gotten the most acclaim of her career, including raves for her acrobatic, levitating performance at this year’s Grammy Awards.

“The Grammys was for me, it was my a-ha moment. It was one of those nights where you’re looking back and you’re talking to your grandkids and you’re like, `Yeah, I had that night where everyone stood up and I felt awesome,’” she said in a recent phone interview.

After nearly two years touring the world, Pink has retreated to the Los Angeles-area home she shares with her motocross-racing husband Carey Hart. She’s made it clear that being a mother won’t change her high-flying ways.

“As soon as the baby can say `mama,’ I’m going on the road,” she said almost two weeks later in an e-mail, after announcing her pregnancy. “We are going to be a traveling family gypsy band with garlands in our hair.”

The Associated Press: How does it feel to release a retrospective at this point in your career?

Pink: I definitely had mixed feelings. (Laughs.) You know what? I’m happier now than I was when it was first being talked about. I had been putting it off for years, although that sounds pretty funny. I don’t feel old enough, I guess.

AP: What made you decide to finally do it?

Pink: At the end of the day, when I get out of my own way, which is what I had to do, it’s something to really be proud of, because when I was a little girl, all I wanted to do was make one hit record. To be able to put out an album full of them is pretty damn special.

AP: Over the last year, you’ve gotten more acclaim. What’s your reaction?

Pink: I’ve been busting my (butt) in Europe and Australia and pretty much everywhere else outside of this country for 10 years playing stadiums and arenas ... and then you come here and play clubs, which is kinda rad because I live here and I like being left alone. But also to constantly still be hearing people go, “Wow, she can really sing.” ... I don’t know, it’s a constant battle, but it keeps me motivated, and the Grammys was that moment where I felt like finally I had been given my due a little bit.

AP: You had a scary accident earlier this year when you fell during your acrobatic act. Was it as scary for you?

Pink: It’s hard to complain when you’re married to Carey Hart. (Laughs.) ... He basically crashes for a living. ... It hurt a lot and I was worried that I was going to be paralyzed and break my back, and I couldn’t feel my legs, and then felt really embarrassed because an entire arena full of people were staring at me. I was fine, I was very lucky.

AP: Were you hesitant about getting back up there?

Pink: No, because I had a show the very next night, so if I wasn’t paralyzed then I wasn’t canceling because I don’t cancel shows.

AP: You’re back home now. Is it a difficult adjustment?

Pink: It’s completely strange. I walk around in circles, I clean a lot, I really don’t know what to do with myself when I’m not on the road. ... For me, I figure I’m going to take a little break. I want to do a record that’s non-radio friendly (laughs) and more akin to that Grammy performance that I had.

AP: Why non-radio friendly?

Pink: Well, I always joke that my favorite artist from the ‘60s and ‘70s would have never gotten radio play today, Janis Joplin. You would have never heard probably “Summertime” on the radio. If it’s not 3 1/2 minutes long, it ain’t getting played. So when I say (non-) radio friendly, I’m just being vague. I wanna go and just write. I want do to my acoustic rock ‘n’ roll record, which I always wanted to do since I was a little girl. ... I wanna go to Nashville, I want to go to New York, I want to go all over the place, actually write songs, get a body of work together, and then get musicians together and then record a record like they did in the old days. (THE FREEMAN)